


At Least I Paid

by hunghong



Series: MXbingo Winter 2017 [4]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Changkyun works part time there, Kihyun is head over heels over Changkyun, Kihyun owns a patisserie, M/M, This Is STUPID, Valentine's Day, White Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-05 03:19:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10296323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hunghong/pseuds/hunghong
Summary: Changkyun asks Kihyun for a help for White Day. Kihyun is not amused.





	

The bell on top of the entrance of Kihyun’s patisserie jingles as the door is opened from the outside. Kihyun looks up from the batter he is beating and smiles a bit before focusing on the batter again. It’s not a new customer he has to greet. It’s Im Changkyun which, if Kihyun is about to be completely honest with himself, is a lot more better than a new customer.

“You come early today,” Kihyun comments, trying to not sound too happy about that.

“I just feel like it,” Changkyun mumbles, avoiding Kihyun’s eyes and putting his jacket and bag in the back room before coming back with the shop’s apron. Changkyun has been working part time there for three months already, but Kihyun still feels a weird proud feeling every time Changkyun wears it. Changkyun could be working part time anywhere else, really. “What are you making?” he takes a peek from behind Kihyun’s shoulder. The proximity is sending a pleasant wave down Kihyun’s spines.

“Eclairs,” Kihyun answers. He continues the task while stealing glances towards Changkyun every once in a while. Weirdly, Changkyun doesn’t move much. In fact, Changkyun just stands there, looking at the batter like it holds the secret of the universe. “You can start with sweeping the floor if you want to,” Kihyun tries.  


Changkyun visibly flinches. It is as if he is being yanked from a trance. He tears his eyes from the batter and steps back, looking at Kihyun now. He looks around confusedly for a few seconds, then dashes to take the broom while murmuring to himself, “Sweep the floor, yes, yes, of course.” Changkyun sweeps the floor after that. However, he looks like his mind is somewhere far away. He keeps fixing his eyes on the batter Kihyun is working on and sweeps the same spot for an eternity.  


Kihyun couldn’t suppress his smile at this. He puts his bowl down and crosses his arms in front of his chest, turning around and leaning back to the counter so he is looking straight to Changkyun. With a teasing knowing expression, he asks, “Okay, what is it?”

“What is what?” Changkyun asks back, a little bit too loud and defensive to be classified as a normal response.

“You’re thinking about _something_. Come on, just spit it out.” Kihyun chuckles, feeling good because, _of course_ , he could tell when something is off about Changkyun. He knows that much, at least. “What is it? You failed your math test?”

“It’s not that,” Changkyun answers hastily and Kihyun laughs at him.  


“Then, what?” Kihyun takes his bowl again and starts whisking while looking at Changkyun.

“I—,” Changkyun starts but immediately stops. His hold on the broomstick is tightening and his gaze falls to the floor. He shuts his eyes tight and groans a bit, showing that he is having an inner battle with himself, then he opens his eyes again and mumbles, “I have something to ask you.”  


Kihyun raises his eyebrow. His grin is slowly fading. This sounds serious. “What is it?” he asks.

“Okay, so,”—Changkyun steals a glance at Kihyun’s face—“today is White Day, right?”  


Kihyun nods. There’s no way he could miss that. He has been stuffing his shop with chocolates and whatnot not without a reason.

“I kinda... need to ask you something about that.”

Kihyun is confused for a split second, but then his brain connects two and two together and makes its own conclusion about this. His heart stops for a moment before coming back to life in full force. He is stuttering and his heart is hopeful when he inquires, “Y— yeah, what about that?”

“So, uhm...,” Changkyun fiddles with his fingers and Kihyun swears he is not breathing. “Would you— would you—”

Kihyun is sure his face is turning red and blue. His whole body is frozen, malfunctioning.

“I know it’s so late since it’s already _the_ day, oh my God, but—”

“Yes?” Kihyun squawks. He couldn’t stand this anymore. His heart feels like it’s going to explode with all the suspense.

“—would you teach me how to make the perfect chocolates for White Day?”

“Yeah, sure,” Kihyun answers immediately. Of course he would be happy to help Changkyun make chocolates for—  


_Wait. What?_

“Wait. What?” Kihyun asks belatedly. His eyes are blown and pinned to Changkyun who once again tenses up after having a few seconds of relief.

Changkyun is taken aback by how loud Kihyun’s question is. He gapes at Kihyun in bewilderment, suspiciously looking like he’s considering to run for his life.

Kihyun doesn’t care if he looks like an angry chihuahua right now. He could feel his heart deflating in a snap and it is nowhere near pleasant. “You want to _make_ chocolates? What for?” he asks, still insistingly hoping that Changkyun isn’t planning to do what he thinks he is.

Changkyun worries at his bottom lip. He looks like a kid being scolded by his father and Kihyun doesn’t like it. Being a father-like figure is not what he is aiming for. “Well, today _is_ White Day,” Changkyun manages to say, “I want to make... you know, White Day chocolates.”

That’s it. There goes every ounce of Kihyun’s hope. There goes Kihyun’s fine day. His lips make a tight line as he beats the batter like he’s murdering it. “I don’t even know you got anything for Valentine’s Day,” he mutters, trying hard to conceal his displeasure but pretty much failing in it.

“I got a lot,” Changkyun says, his pride is hurting a bit. “Well, not a lot _a lot_. I got enough.”

“Then you’re going to reply them all?” Kihyun shoots a look from the corner of his eyes. At least if that’s what Changkyun is doing, then it’s nothing special that he needs to overly worry about.

“No, no, of course not,” Changkyun waves his hand in panic. Kihyun feels his heart burn. “There’s this particular person who— who gave me chocolates on Valentine’s Day and I— I kinda want to reply it.”

Kihyun feels like punching someone. He puts down the bowl he’s holding and stomps away while taking off his apron. “I’m sorry but we’re busy today so I don’t think I can do that,” he says as he walks past Changkyun.

“We still have time until the shop is open,” Changkyun reasons, moving slightly in the direction of Kihyun’s path.

“I need to go out for a bit now.”

“How about later?” Changkyun insists. It’s rare that Changkyun pushes this much and it ignites more fire in Kihyun. “We usually have time just after lunch time.”

Kihyun knows that Changkyun is right, so he couldn’t lie. However, there’s no way Kihyun would help Changkyun make some chocolates for _the lucky bastard_. “Yeah, but I can’t promise you anything,” Kihyun says, already reaching the back door, “Because, you know, it’s fucking _White Day_ today.”

Kihyun closes the door behind him and walks a couple of blocks to an alley just behind the convenience store. He lights up a cigar and smokes there, all the while kicking the garbage bins until he’s calmed down enough to open his patisserie.

***

Changkyun is sulking, Kihyun notices. He still smiles to the customers like usual, but he keeps his distance from Kihyun. They usually talk aimlessly when there’s no customer around, but now Changkyun just keeps tidying things when it’s just the two of them. This bugs Kihyun, seriously. He can’t stand having a sulky Changkyun around like this. It makes him feel guilty, like he’s done something terrible.

Kihyun knows he’s only a millimeter away from giving in and letting Changkyun have whatever he wants when he approaches the younger and starts a conversation, “So, who’s this person you’re willing to make White Day chocolates for?”

Changkyun looks up from the tray of cream puffs that he’s been rearranging for the third time already. A sliver light of hope is glinting in his eyes. Visibly trying to not get too hopeful, Changkyun answers, “A... friend of mine, I guess?”

Kihyun scoffs at that. “How could you be so unsure about that? Is this person from your class?”

“No,” Changkyun shakes his head. “He’s not a student.”

 _He_ , Kihyun notices. This revelation makes Kihyun a bit more bitter about this because if it’s a _he_ , why can’t it be him? He’s a _he_ too, isn’t he?

“Actually, calling him a friend of mine wouldn’t be appropriate,” Changkyun chuckles to himself. Kihyun hates that Changkyun looks so happy talking about this person. “He’s my... _hyung_. That would be more appropriate.”

“Older man, huh?” Kihyun gives a response while wondering how much older than Changkyun this person actually is. “Be careful with them older men, they are usually up for no good.”

“Oh, don’t worry about him,” Changkyun laughs, “He’s a good man. Like, _really_ good. He might not look like it from the outside but he’s actually the kindest person at heart.”

Kihyun feels like choking. “You don’t know that, Kyun.”

Changkyun, still smiling wide, scoots over to Kihyun and places a hand on Kihyun’s shoulder, “Believe me, hyung, _I know_.” Changkyun laughs again and this is the first time ever that Kihyun _hates_ Changkyun’s laugh this much. Then, he clears his throat and asks cautiously, “So, would you, please, teach me?”

“No,” Kihyun answers in a heartbeat. “Go ask your other hyungs,” Kihyun mutters under his breath before turning pointedly and greeting a customer who walks in just in time.

***

The patisserie is packed with male customers that day, ranging from high school students to salary men in their late thirties. Lunch time is the peak hours, with people queuing to the street, then the queue gets shorter and shorter until it’s calm again around three in the afternoon. A few customers are still coming from time to time, but it’s nothing that they couldn’t handle.

Everyone just loves Kihyun’s sweets very much, that’s all.

And Kihyun loves Changkyun. But apparently Changkyun loves someone else. This is such an unfortunate situation that Kihyun still couldn’t handle well.

Kihyun has been trying to steer away from the thought about Changkyun and his _kind hyung_ all day but, in the end, curiosity takes the best of him. After the seventeenth customized order for White Day chocolates that day, Kihyun couldn’t resist and finally asks, “What kind of chocolate he got you?”

Changkyun, who doesn’t really expect that they’d come back to that topic again, thinks about it for a moment and answers, “A simple one.”

Pride bubbles in Kihyun’s chest. In this field, he’s pretty confident that he’s hard to beat. “The store bought one? Cadbury? Toblerone?”

Changkyun shakes his head. “He made it himself.”

Now that’s unexpected. Kihyun loses his composure for a moment, but then he reminds himself that even a twelve years old could make a chocolate. What not everyone could make is a chocolate as good as _his_ chocolate. “Was it good?” he dares to ask.

“Very,” Changkyun beams. “The best chocolate I ever had, to be honest. My favorite.”

The best. _The best_ , Changkyun said, and he has had _Kihyun’s_ chocolate before. This is an insult. This is a major blow to his pride, both as a man and as a patissier slash chocolatier.

Meanwhile, Changkyun seems to be oblivious about the damage he has done to Kihyun. With dreamy eyes, he continues talking, “And that’s why I want you to teach me make some really good chocolates. I can’t reply the best chocolate with a store bought one, can I? At least I have to make it special by learning from the best and making it with my own hands.”

Kihyun is really conflicted inside. He feels like punching Changkyun, really, but in the other hands, he also feels like lying down on the floor and contemplates on his life.

It all gets worse when Changkyun tries his luck again, “That’s why, please, hyung—”

“I need to go out for a while,” Kihyun cuts even before Changkyun could finish his words.

Kihyun really needs another session of smoking cigar and kicking garbage cans.

***

When Kihyun is back again from his little escapade, it is already near the end of Changkyun’s shift. He feels tremendously spent and looking Changkyun waiting for him like a dejected puppy doesn’t really help. He knows that he doesn’t have any right to be mad, for he has never made a move on Changkyun before let alone confessing or something, but this still feels deeply saddening for him and he already has no strength to cover it up anymore.

He is brokenhearted. He has all the rights in the world to be sad.

Kihyun clearly shows that he doesn’t want to talk to Changkyun in the rest of Changkyun’s shift. He turns his back on Changkyun and he waves him off before he could even say anything. However, the shift finally ends and Kihyun knows he couldn’t just shoo Changkyun away like that.

“Hyung,” Changkyun starts. His eyes are desperate. “Please, help me this once.”

Kihyun is tired. Very tired. He can’t do this even if he wanted to. “Sorry, Kyun. I can’t.”

Changkyun looks very sad and it hurts Kihyun, but Kihyun must be looking very sad too so there’s that.

“Look, how about you just... take some of the chocolates from here and bring it to him? My chocolates are certainly _not the best_ according to you, but I promise it’s a million times better than the store bought ones.” Kihyun couldn’t believe he just told Changkyun to give _his chocolate_ to this lucky bastard, but he’s not taking his words back anyway. Changkyun looks pathetic and as much as Kihyun is brokenhearted, he is still in love with that man. He couldn’t just let him be.

“I can’t—”

“Just take it, Kyun,” Kihyun insists. He wants this to be done and over with. The sooner the better.

“But—,” Changkyun starts again but he doesn’t finish it. He heaves a sigh and surrenders, even though he looks like he _despises_ this idea. “Okay, then, but I’m paying.”

Kihyun frowns at that. It would be very weird to let Changkyun _buy_ the chocolate from him. “What? No, you don’t have to do that. Just take it.”

“No,” Changkyun breathes out. He takes a random box of chocolate from the display and puts it on the counter. With movements that are rough and showing that he’s, at the very least, upset, he takes out some cash from his wallet and pushes it to Kihyun. “Here.”

“No. Oh my God, Changkyun, I said—”

Changkyun grunts and punches the register by himself. He works there, he knows how things are working. After successfully putting the money in, he takes the box with him and stomps to the back room, leaving a bewildered Kihyun alone. A few minutes later, Changkyun comes back with his bag on his shoulders, his jacket in one hand, and the box of chocolate in the other. Stopping in front of Kihyun, Changkyun takes a deep breath and releases it. “Listen, hyung. I’m sorry, okay?”

Kihyun doesn’t know what to do other than nodding to that. The fact that Changkyun was _so_ upset still petrifies him, even though Changkyun is no longer that upset now. Now, Changkyun looks regretful more than anything, and it, also, petrifies Kihyun.

Changkyun exhales a long breath and steps back. With a salute, he turns around and walks out the shop, leaving Kihyun all alone once again.

Just when Changkyun is out of the shop that Kihyun realizes that Changkyun left the box of chocolate on the counter. Kihyun is about to run and shout for Changkyun, but a pink envelope on top of it catches his eyes.

The words written on it stops Kihyun’s heartbeat.

_To: Kihyun hyung_

Kihyun’s heart thrums like crazy after the halt. He stares at the characters of his name carefully, studying it one by one as if he’s learning his name all over again. Slowly, he picks up the envelope and opens it. There’s a simple card inside—pink with blue letters written on it.

Taking a deep breath, Kihyun reads.

_I know it’s not exactly Valentine’s chocolates that you gave me a month ago. I know it was just leftover chocolates._

_I also know that this is stupid. Me giving you chocolates that you made yourself for White Day is stupid. But your chocolates are the best and if I can’t give you a special one made by my own hand, I certainly wouldn’t give you anything less than the best._

_I am stupid. I know. But I love you, hyung, so there’s that._

_I’ll be waiting outside the shop until the closing hour. Simply ignore me if you want this to be forgotten._

_\- Im Changkyun_

Kihyun has never been running outside his shop so fast in his life.


End file.
